“Give me your hand and I’ll give you mine”

Everyday life comes with various challenges, which should resonate with the vast majority of us who are forced to navigate day-to-day obstacles simply to meet the minimum criteria to be considered a functional human being. Yet, despite these shared challenges, it’s our individual response to them that defines our path forward, and sometimes we tend to become stagnant as we patiently wait to find some means to overcome these sometimes impossibly intimidating situations. Throughout his career in independent film, Nathan Silver has structured his work around this very simple cue, using it as the foundation for some touching and bitingly funny social satires. His most recent effort is also arguably his most notable film to date, and the one best-poised to give him a major breakthrough – Between the Temples tells the intersecting stories of Ben, a widowed cantor who is at an impasse in his already middling life, and Carla, a quirky music teacher forced into retirement and who decides to seek out new opportunities to give her life meaning. A chance encounter between the pair proves to be somewhat serendipitous, as Carla was Ben’s music teacher when he was a child, and in an effort to reignite the joy of a time when life seemed so much simpler, the pair become friends, particularly when Carla decides that she wants to have her bat mitzvah, something that she wasn’t able to get when she was a teenager due to her parents’ beliefs and attempts to rebel against their religion. A charming, well-crafted comedy that is as simple as it is genuinely moving, Between the Temples is a delicate glimpse into the lives of two wayward souls dedicated to moving forward, despite the roadblocks standing in their way. Engaging and enthralling, while still carrying a very deep message about the value of human connection, as both a healing balm for the pain of the past, and as a way to see the world in a different light, with everything this film states ultimately leading back to the message that everything is a matter of perspective in one way or another.

On the surface, Between the Temples is a film about culture – the story revolves around a cantor in the midst of an existential crisis and an older woman deciding to take the leap to rediscover her faith later in life. Silver has occasionally touched on themes relating to culture in his previous work, and this film presents the opportunity to explore faith as an overarching theme, which is quite a surprising decision considering the secularism of the film industry. At the start, the film is an idiosyncratic depiction of two very different individuals coming together to achieve a common goal, which is essentially to provide one with the knowledge and experience required to be considered a valued member of the Jewish community, which is where much of the humour is found. Comedies about religion often walk a very narrow tightrope in terms of tone and intention – it’s difficult to make these films without them seeming either heavy-handed when they take a positive view of the faith, or overly mocking in instances where there is some level of incredulity towards the subject matter. In this instance, neither is present, particularly since Silver takes a more objective view to faith, viewing it as just another part of someone’s identity, rather than the driving factor in their life, and crafts the film as any other cultural satire, which plays on the intricate foibles and quirks of a particular religion, being both a celebration of its traditions and carefully-explored critique of outdated customs, questioning their relevance in the modern world. Those expecting a deep and insightful examination of Judaism and its history may feel like this film comes up short, only because it is so heavily ingrained in its subject matter, that it doesn’t always have time to explain everything. Some references may only be caught by those who practice the faith or having a deeper knowledge of the traditions (particularly the language, which is a very important aspect of the film), which may require some additional research for those outside these groups. However, Between the Temples mercifully never hinges on these elements, and nonetheless proves to be a solid and well-constructed comedy about the importance of religion in shaping one’s identity, even if it isn’t an intentional choice.

However, despite its wonderful approach to exploring religion, Between the Temples is a much more layered and detailed character-driven drama than it seems to be on the surface. After all, as even the title suggests, the majority of the content of this film takes place in the margins between religious conversations, which is where we find so much of the most valuable philosophical and social commentary, which proves to be the main aspect of the film that carries the most meaning. This is as much a film about religion as it is about friendship, and how the people we choose to be a part of our life can often define it. It starts as a typical odd couple comedy, following two very different individuals as they are forced to share the same space, but gradually evolves into something much more profound once we start to notice the smaller details. This is much more than just a young man being plucked from an existential crisis by an older woman whose joie de vivre helps him see life in a very different way. There’s a sense of symbiosis that propels this relationship – it’s far from Ben needing Carla’s help to remove himself from this state of depression, and vice versa, instead being a story of two lonely individuals finding a kindred spirit in one another. The comparisons to films like Harold and Maude and About a Boy are not superficial or unfounded – it is certainly an intergenerational story of a friendship eventually evolving into what seems to be something much more complex, but there is still so much more depth that makes Between the Temple its own bespoke work, particularly in how it conveys the message that it is never too late to find yourself or reinvent some aspect of your personality. Silver is a keen observer of the human condition, and this film is the perfect summation of his strengths as a storyteller, with the character development on its own being absolutely incredible and forcing us to reconsider our perception through the charming parable of two people who have a chance encounter and ultimately prove to be the other’s key to the path of healing.

Based on the premise and how character-based the story is, it was always going to be clear that Between the Temples would depend on its actors to capture its various complexities and layers. Silver had the good fortune of being able to recruit Jason Schwartzman and Carol Kane to lead the film – and as two of the most wildly original voices in cinema over the past few decades (albeit their peaks being at slightly different periods), they were both an exceptional fit for the vision of this film. Schwartzman is one of those actors whose body of work is far more expansive than we realize, and his career in independent cinema goes deep, working with several wonderful filmmakers over the years. Silver is just another addition to his roster of collaborators, with the director pulling out one of the actor’s most daring performances to date. Usually typecast as these slightly awkward, comedically-inclined young nebbishes, Schwartzman has rarely been given the chance to flourish – and the few times he has stepped out of his comfort zone have not always yielded the results we may have hoped. Between the Temples casts him in a role that both makes the best of his talents, while still pushing him further than most other work he has done, and the results are brilliant. However, the film wholeheartedly belongs to Kane, with everyone understanding that it is her performance that is the beating heart of the entire project. Someone who has also been needlessly cast in roles that don’t make use of her wide range of talents, Kane has been waiting for a part like this for years, finally being able to step out of the archetype of the quirky older eccentric, and instead being allowed to showcase much more range and nuance, a wonderful change of pace considering she tends to be misused in most of her recent work, while always being a nonetheless welcome presence in any project she attaches herself to. The chemistry between the two leads is palpable, and it never feels forced – they clearly get to know each other well as actors and create characters who are nuanced and complex as a result. They both balance comedy and melancholy equally well and play off each other with such incredible precision, that it’s shocking to imagine they’re playing fictional constructions. A supporting cast consisting of Dolly de Leon (who is rapidly becoming one of the most versatile character actors working today), Pauline Chalamet and Robert Smigel round out an exceptional ensemble that feels entirely authentic, while never neglecting the comedic cues that drive the narrative.

Thematically, Between the Temples is a wonderfully well-written film with bold ideas that drive it forward. However, there is much more to Silver’s approach to realizing these themes that aren’t restricted solely to the narrative, and that his aesthetic and stylistic choices are just as intriguing. This is the kind of small, subtle independent comedy in which the camera is slightly too close to the actors and thus gives us more access to their subtlest of emotions and smallest gestures, which are amplified by the beautiful story that surrounds them. There was a high possibility that this film would have been quite one-dimensional in any other hands, and while Silver is not a name that many recognize immediately, he is someone who prioritizes the smallest details over the broader jokes (but not neglecting them at the same time), and this film demonstrates his incredible ability to balance tonal shifts with elegance and charm, never being too flippant on one side of the extreme, nor too self-serious on the other. The humour is smart and insightful and rarely goes for the low-hanging fruit, which makes sense considering this is aiming to be quite close to early American independent cinema (evoking the likes of John Cassavetes and Robert Altman) more than it aims to fit in with contemporary entries into the modern film movement. This allows the director to run the gamut of emotions without ever feeling impelled to deliver something that could not live up to these enormous expectations, which is part of the incredible appeal of this film and the main reason why it is such a resoundingly successful, achingly beautiful story of individuality. The lo-fi, gritty visual aesthetic only contributes to the peculiarities and aids in the evocation of a bygone era, where these simple, straightforward comedies about everyday life seemed borderline revolutionary in contrast to a lot of the alternatives being made today, and which is one of the primary reasons this film feels so subversive and daring, even at its most simplistic.

There is a soulfulness to Between the Temples that makes it immediately more substantial than a lot of similarly-themed films, which is all part of the incredible appeal that sets this apart from most contemporary independent films. The key to the success is the simplicity, both in terms of the narrative and its execution. On the surface, it seems like a perfectly pleasant culture-based comedy that riffs on contemporary perceptions of old traditions, which is true of the initial portions of the story, but which quickly gets replaced with a tender, heartful exploration of friendship, following the experiences of two individuals who are trying to make it through a hostile world, and who unexpectedly discover that they are kindred spirits, and represent each other’s emotional salvation. One of the most poignant depictions of friendship we’ve seen committed to film in quite some time and driven by an equal abundance of heart and humour, which is more than enough to keep the entire project afloat almost entirely on its own. The remarkable performances of the two leads and the solid ensemble only add further layers of complexity to this wonderfully endearing film. Even if a viewer exists outside the social or cultural milieux depicted throughout the film, there is always going to be something of resonance in Between the Temples, an enthralling and intricately woven comedy that blends romance and satire in such a way that it feels fresh and invigorating, capturing something truly special from this seemingly simple material. One of the year’s very best films, particularly because of its subtle depiction of the human condition, which is rendered as equal parts hilarious and heartfelt, creating an exceptionally impactful and wholeheartedly delightful romp through the traditions of Judaism, as seen through the eyes of some of its most unconventionally delightful and deeply human practitioners.